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Arsenal’s Xhaka and team-mate Shaqiri set to endure FIFA wrath after political outburst

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri are set to face repercussions for their celebrations in Switzerland’s 2-1 win over Serbia last night.

The Swiss overturned an early goal from Newcastle striker Aleksandr Mitrovic to come away 2-1 victors in the World Cup group stage match-up last night, leaving them in pole position to qualify from Group E.

The side are likely to come under scrutiny from FIFA for the players celebrations however, with the two goalscorers, who were both born in Kosovo, making political gestures whilst celebrating their goals against Serbia, a country who refuses to acknowledge the independence of their birth-country.

The duo are likely to be allowed to continue playing in the tournament without playing repercussions, but a fine is expected to be dished out to both players, and possibly to the FA of Switzerland also for breach of rules.

On a plus-note however, Granit scored a screamer from way out in order to level the tie, and his emphatic goal should be the biggest talking point from the last-gasp win, but unfortunately the players decided their political cause deserved to take centre stage.

The Gunners midfielder had a Kosovo flag on one his boots for the match-up, which isn’t believed to be an issue, but there is strict guidelines on political showings during goal celebrations.

Are the players wrong for marring the win with their political views? Did their views help the stars to up their game in order to hurt their opposing side?

FIFA has no business doing anything here. Players praise Allah and Christ when they score goals, kiss their country flags and do all sorts of nonsense. Who cares? You can’t salute your own birth country, but you can praise an imaginary genocidal deity? Makes sense.

People that are raised in religious family or environment will not think their gods as imaginary genocidal deities. They are even willing to kill anybody who insult their gods and phophets, hence FIFA cannot disallow such fundamental things

But they can disallow nation political gestures from the players or coaches, because nations are not as fundamental as religions. And it is not right to bring nation political issues into World Cup, because the competition is based on the relationship between the nations

No doubt FIFA would want have a second look at there celebration if people like Pat j and all other attention seekers won’t let the issue rest. What the f**k is wrong with people. Over the years i saw several of arsenal players celebrating their goals with guns gesture, shooting into the crowd. Iwobi did it recently when he scored against England. We are in a present world where all sort people doing what they want in the name of human right and it suddenly it is a crime when a player was celebrating and acknowledging his root. If Switzz don’t have problem with it why should FIFA. If they did that playing for Albania will there be all these nonsense.

No, when it calls for another war for Great Albania: Albania with Kosovo and big parts of nearby countries where albanian population is spreading by reproducing musch faster then others as a part of a political agenda.

Only those of us from countries which have plenty of Albanian ultra-nationalists (and I’m not even close to being from Serbia by the way) and hoodlums know what we’re talking about. This is not some minor Polish or Hungarian or Ukranian nationalism. This is hardcore militant mafia that started the breakup of Yugoslavia which ended wonderfully if you remember (sarcasm), then split Serbia, now threatens to split Greece and Macedonia… Montenegro will follow, no doubt, as will the thriving of the human-organs black market…

I have mentioned a month ago may be , about how arsenal should not neglect some bright spots in the recently relegated teams in PL.
One such spot is Shaqiri.. I think he has made a pure rubbish decision in accepting stokes offer after playing for Bayern.
He is not a perfect winger in the world but he is definitely miles better than the winget we have currently.
And at a price of 13.5mil? I think it would be a huge bargain for arsenal who definitely need atleast one winger this season.

People with a brain fit for nothing, always think big players will always play for big clubs and not for relegated clubs. I was called an dellusionist when i first stated my opinion about arsenal buying shaqiri, look at him now in a half decent Swiss squad?
He is already performing well. Not because he scored a goal. But his overall contribution to the match is what impresses me.
Good dribbler, good left foot, FK specialist, good crossing and strong though small.

Yes he was great yesterday but can he do it on a cold night in Stoke? The verdict after a couple of years is largely no. Be very aware of players who turn it on at World Cup time, especially ones looking for their last big payday. I’d pass, for me he is this tournament’s Sissoko.

FIFA – Is this the same bunch of idiots who think it’s a good idea to hold a World Cup in Qatar?
The same bunch of idiots, rumour has it, that accepted bribes from Qatar to do so?
If it does go ahead there’ll be no kissing, hugging or even holding hands in public so goodness knows what will happen if the non-muslims want to sink a few pints!
How on earth can anyone take FIFA seriously?

Forget about such showing of public affection. Just think about footballing hurdles.

How do they think players can stay in a country with temp rising to 50degrees celcius in the summer?
May be since the games are played in the evening the temperature won’t be 50 but may be 35-40 , which is still way too much heat than england,germany ,italy or spain. The countries where most players representing thier countries play.

Was he actually any different, guy I was talking with about the game didn’t believe he was. The goal wasn’t as special or as uncommon as the tweeters made it out to be. Switz as a team they are a good unit, grafters, they know their lines. But I didn’t see anything special.

Could someone with some political knowledge or Historical Knowledge of that area explain what was the significance of the celebration implies, because i am positive i have seen that celebration before.

Personally, to me, it seems footballers should behave like robots and show no emotion during football celebrations, what a dull our football is turning into

There was no time and place to make frustrated provocations yesterday. They were primitive as Xhaka and the other one looked at that very moment. Yes, historicaly maybe Serbs fracked them for some time but they were not just an innocent victims who after all now have their state Kosovo.
Problem is that albanians are not stoping there: already Kosovo and Albania has monetary union but they want Great Albania including parts of Montenegro, Serbia and most of Macedonia. So in this situation their celebrations are not just primitive, they are dangerous, calling for another war in Balkans.

Me for one will sue FIFA to court if they punish me for celebrating the way xhaka and shaqiri did. A bird or wing sign can mean a lot of things. It can mean they are flying higher or eagles wing. FIFA has no right to impose a meaning on players celebration.

Why aren’t they playing for Albania if they care so much. I’m sure Switz fans must be a bit puzzled with them too. It’d be like Iwobi and two others reenacting the three lions. Pair of bloody idiots if you ask me, it’s also why Xhaka hasn’t been the player we thought he’d be, dullard.

I’m a Nigerian and so will write in defence of Iwobi, i didn’t remember Iwobi had the three Lions call up that he rejected and he has no reason or reasons to mock the English national team. If he chooses to celebrate in any gesture i think it is pure reflex and not mockery and if i may ask is the Super Eagles of Nigeria doing better than the Three Lions?

Going through this thread, I can see a lot of hateful posts towards Albanians in general despite the fact that most I their population are innocent peace loving people.
Maybe we should call the English blood thirsty murderers because their ancestors participated in the crusades.
Then we should call all Germans blood thirsty murderers too for the genocide committed by Adolf Hitler.
See where I’m going with this? When you allow certain posts, it’s inevitable that low IQ folks will post hateful trash.